St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-07-21
HELEN MELCHER's JOURNAL.
E. E. Hale in ". z. Ind<psndent.


E. E. Hale IN ". z. Independent.
Helen Melcher was just going to bed.
Twice she looked dOubtfully at the
old bureau, which had been her moth
er's, once she half crossed the room
toward it. The third time her resOlu-
ton gave way, and she opened the
upper drawer and took out her Journal
book. She sat down, opened it, read
the last entry, which was, in truth,
rather fOrlOrn, paused again, with her
pen in her hand but then, without
any further hesitation, wrete quickly
and steadily thus:
"Friday, Dee. 26. Another good
fOr-nOthing day. l have hesitated be-
fore | would even waste good ink on
telling the story of such wasted hours.
did better in those days of the early
journals, which say Washed my dolls
Clothes Troned my dolls Clothes If
Clara and John would only let me,
now, | would send Bridget off tO-mOr
row, and would wash and iron my own.
Why / should then, at least, be good
for something.
81 have no longer even the wretched
occupation of going to DR.. Hunters.
He says my wrist is all right, if only
am good for. 1t is lucky for me that
he has done with me for | gave him
my last two dollars, and | shall have
to go on foot till dividend day if l save
this bright quarter for the contribution
box. For that matter, | may just as
well stay at home as go out. 1t is all
one with such dO-nOthing as am.
| even told John Orcutt, at the Doc
tors that his time was more valuable
than mine, and let him take my turn,
first among the patients, when he
would have been last. Then l sat
reading the American OrthOpedist for
the hour, while the others went in. 1t
was just as well. What was l good
for7 Poor John Orcutt! wonder if
he understood how bitter was my sat
ire !"
With this exclamation point, Helen
Melcher went to bed.
IL.
The Recording Angel copied Helen's
entry into his big book in much fewer
words than l have used. They have a
shorthand there which we cannot yet
initiate.
And the Recording Angel smiled
his, which no artist as yet has given
us on canvas. 1t had been q busy day
with him for he had had all John Or
cults entry to make, and all the en-
tries of all the lives in all the places
and all the countries which hinged on
John Orcutt's. And so the Recording
Angel did not think Helen Melcher's
day so insignificant as she did.
The truth is, that that particular day
of hers kept him very busy for a long
time, as we shall see. In fact, he had
to ask for more assistants, and he had
them granted him; for they are very
kind there to servants as faithful as he.
III.
John Orcutt was not in any sense
what you would call an important man.
He was an honest, rather slow coach,
unimaginative, but perfectly willing to
do his duty, if anybody told him just
what it was. He was not very bright
in finding it out for himself. Indeed,
a difference in that very faculty is one
of the rather critical distinctions be-
tween men. John Orcutt sat in the pew
next at the right of Helen's pew. That
is the way she came to know his
name.
w len 1T LII. I1u0JeTS y, Jlttb udy I1ol-
en- had bitterly said to him that his
time was more precious than hers, and
had let him go nrSJ 1nJO tile surgeons
room, he had not enough wit to see
that she was bitter or sad. What he
knew was that in the printing Office
that morning heavy chase had fallen
Oh his foot. He was lame, and he was
afraid that some of the little bones
were broken. He had had to take
cab to do the errands which his chief
had given him /; he had just finished
that critical interview with their cOun
sci, Kent and Marshall, about the libel;
he was late at DR.. Hunters, whose Of
flee was full when he arrived, and, ex
cept for Helen's good nature, he would
have had to sit there an hour.
AS it was, it did not take the great
surgeon two minutes to tell him that
nothing was the matter. In another
minute his boot was on, and in anOth-
er he had called cab and was driving
quickly back to the office.
His chief was delighted to see him.
81 had not looked for you before
five," he said, "and you so lame, too.
/ had just telegraphed Marcy at enOr-
nous length 4; but now you are here,
will leave the office to you and catch
the express myself. Personal presence
moves the world. | will be back Mon
day morning. Lead with the Judicial
~, then take Bulgaria or the Fish
cries. then as you choose only" said
the chief, as he pulled on his OvercOat
and lifted down his travelling sack,
"ClaghOrn is to say nothing, not if you
have to kill him. We say nothing
about silver, and about Scotland Yard,
you knOw.n
And so John circuit was left in
charge of the journal, from five o'clock
Friday, till breakfast time, Monday,
while the great man swung himself to
the train and to the capital. And Sc,
also, at the very moment when Helen
was making her fOrlorn entry about
John Orcutt in her diary, the great
chief, thanks to her, was rushing along,
asleep, as fast as steam would pull
him, two hundred miles from home.
".
Let us follow his story first, and then
we will go back to John circuit, in the |
Office. The great editor arrived at the |
seat of government, at last, long after |
breakfast time but he did not stop for !
breakfast nay, he scarcely stopped to
wash his face and hands. He called a |
cab, and in ten minutes was at the Bu-
reau of his friend, the great officer of
state, to whom he had been telegraph
ing.
"Are you a foreign minister" said
the messenger, who sat at the door,
at the unknown visitor.
al am a domestic minister" said the
editor bluntly, and pushed by the una
vailing lackey.
General Marcy, whom he had come
SO fnr tn aaa WAS at his dasE xvorLino,